BHAKKAR (MNN); Two police personnel embraced martyrdom and several others were injured in a suicide blast at a checkpost in Punjab’s Bhakkar district on Tuesday evening, officials confirmed.
District Police Officer Shahzad Rafiq said the attack occurred near the Dajil checkpost during a search operation aimed at maintaining law and order in the area.
According to the DPO, the suicide bomber approached the checkpost and detonated explosives, resulting in the martyrdom of two policemen and injuries to another officer. Three passersby were also wounded in the explosion.
The martyred officers were identified as Muhammad Faheem and Muhammad Shehbaz, while the injured policeman was named Arshad. The identities of the injured civilians have yet to be confirmed.
All injured individuals were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital for medical treatment, DPO Rafiq added.
President Asif Ali Zardari strongly condemned the terrorist attack and expressed deep sorrow over the loss of the police officials. He extended condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured personnel.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed profound grief over the martyrdom of the police officers. According to Radio Pakistan, he stated that the sacrifices made by police in the fight against terrorism would not go in vain and reaffirmed the government’s determination to eliminate terrorism from the country.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz condemned the attack on the police checkpost and paid tribute to the martyred officers for their bravery and dedication to duty. She conveyed heartfelt sympathies to the families of the martyrs and directed authorities to ensure the best possible medical care for the injured.
The incident occurred on the same day when six law enforcement personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police, were martyred in a terrorist attack on a police vehicle in Kohat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
It is noteworthy that the Dajil checkpost is located at the border between Dera Ismail Khan and Bhakkar.
